M Chinnaswamy Stadium witnessed a thrilling contest between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League (WPL). Despite playing at home, RCB couldn't chase down a modest target, handing Gujarat Giants a crucial victory and their second win of the tournament.
RCB's batting woes continued as they struggled to build partnerships and accelerate the scoring rate. Ellyse Perry, who had been in excellent form throughout the tournament, was dismissed for a duck, her first in the WPL. Smriti Mandhana also struggled against the disciplined bowling of 21-year-old Kashvee Gautam, eventually falling to the spin of Tanuja Kanwar for a slow 10 runs off 20 balls.
Kanika Ahuja provided some much-needed momentum for RCB, showcasing her improved power game with some impressive sixes. However, her dismissal triggered another collapse, and despite Georgia Wareham's late cameo, RCB could only manage 125 runs.
Gujarat Giants, in their chase, started cautiously. However, Ash Gardner took charge in the ninth over, smashing rookie Prema Rawat for three fours and a six. This over shifted the momentum in favor of the Giants, and they cruised to victory from there. Gardner finished with an unbeaten 58, guiding her team home.
Team Performance Analysis:
- RCB:
- Batting: RCB's batting faltered once again, with the top order failing to fire. Perry's rare failure and Mandhana's continued struggles against spin hurt them. Ahuja's power hitting and Wareham's cameo were the only bright spots.
- Bowling: RCB's bowlers were economical but couldn't pick up wickets at regular intervals. Renuka Singh Thakur was the most successful bowler with 2 wickets for 24 runs.
- Fielding: RCB's fielding was decent, but they couldn't take any spectacular catches to turn the tide in their favor.
- Gujarat Giants:
- Batting: The Giants' batting revolved around Gardner's explosive knock. Sophia Dunkley and Harleen Deol failed to make an impact, but Gardner's power hitting and Litchfield's composed innings ensured they reached the target.
- Bowling: The Giants' bowlers were disciplined and kept the pressure on the RCB batters. Gautam's impressive spell and Kanwar's crucial wickets were instrumental in restricting RCB to a low total.
- Fielding: The Giants' fielding was sharp, with no major errors.
